Enhanced Ionic Power Generation via Light-Driven Active Ion Transport Across 2D Semiconductor Heterostructures.

2D semiconductor heterostructures exhibit broad application prospects. However, regular nanochannels of heterostructures rarely caught the researcher's attention. Herein, a metal-organic framework (i.e., Cu3(HHTP)2) and transition metal dichalcogenides (i.e., MoS2)-based multilayer van der Waals heterostructure (i.e., Cu3(HHTP)2/MoS2) realized band alignment-dominated light-driven ion transport and further light-enhanced ionic energy generation. High-density channels of the heterostructure provide high-speed pathways for ion transmembrane transport. Upon light illumination, a net ionic flow occurs at a symmetric concentration, suggesting a directional cationic transport from Cu3(HHTP)2 to MoS2. This is because Cu3(HHTP)2/MoS2 heterostructures containing type-II band alignment can generate photovoltaic motive force through light-induced efficient charge separation to drive ion transport. After introducing into the ionic power generation system, the maximum power density under illumination can achieve notable improvement under different concentration differences. In addition to the photovoltaic motive force, type-II band alignment and material defect capture-induced surface charge increase also raise ion selectivity and flux, greatly facilitating ionic energy generation. This work demonstrates that 2D semiconductor heterostructures with rational band alignment can not only be a potential platform for optimizing light-enhanced ionic energy harvesting but also provide a new thought for biomimetic iontronic devices.

Organic amendments increased Chinese milk vetch symbiotic nitrogen fixation by enriching Mesorhizobium in rhizosphere.

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation of Chinese milk vetch (Astragalus sinicus L.) can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and serve as an organic nitrogen source in agricultural ecosystems. Exogenous organic material application is a common practice of affecting symbiotic nitrogen fixation; however, the results of the regulation activities remain under discussion. Studies on the impact of organic amendments on symbiotic nitrogen fixation have focused on dissolved organic carbon content changes, whereas the impact on dissolved organic carbon composition and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. In situ pot experiments were carried out using soils from a 40-year-old field experiment platform to investigate symbiotic nitrogen fixation rate trends, dissolved organic carbon concentration and component, and diazotroph community structure in roots and in rhizosphere soils following long-term application of different exogenous organic substrates, i.e., green manure, green manure and pig manure, and green manure and rice straw. Remarkable increases in rate were observed in and when compared with that in green manure treatment, with the greatest enhancement observed in the treatment. Moreover, organic amendments, particularly pig manure application, altered diazotroph community composition in rhizosphere soils, therefore increasing the abundance of the host-specific genus Mesorhizobium. Furthermore, organic amendments influence the diazotroph communities through two primary mechanisms. Firstly, the components of dissolved organic carbon promote an increase in available iron, facilitated by the presence of humus substrates. Secondly, the elevated content of dissolved organic carbon and available iron expands the niche breadth of Mesorhizobium within the rhizosphere. Consequently, these alterations result in a modified diazotroph community within the rhizosphere, which in turn influences Mesorhizobium nodulation in the root and symbiotic nitrogen fixation rate. The results of the present study enhance our understanding of the impact of organic amendments on symbiotic nitrogen fixation and the underlying mechanism, highlighting the key role of dissolved organic carbon composition on diazotroph community composition in the rhizosphere.

Constructing CoNi-LDH/Fe MOF/NF Heterostructure Catalyst for Energy-Efficient OER and UOR at High Current Density.

The sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) always results in a high overpotential at the anode of water electrolysis and an excessive electric energy consumption, which has been a major obstacle for hydrogen production through water electrolysis. In this study, we present a CoNi-LDH/Fe MOF/NF heterostructure catalyst with nanoneedle array morphology for the OER. In 1.0 M KOH solution, the heterostructure catalyst only required overpotentials of 275 and 305 mV to achieve high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA/cm2 for OER, respectively. The catalytic activities are much higher than those of the reference single-component CoNi-LDH/NF and Fe MOF/NF catalysts. The improved catalytic performance of the heterostructure catalyst can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of CoNi-LDH and Fe MOF. In particular, when the anodic OER is replaced with the urea oxidation reaction (UOR), which has a relatively lower thermodynamic equilibrium potential and is expected to reduce the cell voltage, the overpotentials required to achieve the same current densities can be reduced by 80 and 40 mV, respectively. The cell voltage required to drive overall urea splitting (OUS) is only 1.55 V at 100 mA/cm2 in the Pt/C/NF||CoNi-LDH/Fe MOF/NF two-electrode electrolytic cell. This value is 60 mV lower compared with that required for overall water splitting (OWS). Our results indicate that a reasonable construction of a heterostructure catalyst can significantly give rise to higher electrocatalytic performance, and using UOR to replace the anodic OER of the OWS can greatly reduce the electrolytic energy consumption.

NIR light, pH, and redox-triple responsive nanogels for controlled release.

Herein we report a novel spiropyran (SP)-based organic-inorganic composite nanogel (NG), which was prepared using upconverting nanoparticles, spiropyran, acrylic acid and N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine (BAC) compounds under emulsion polymerisation. Compared with other polymer nanoparticles, the crosslinked multi-stimulus responsive nanogels can adjust the release rate by altering more of the parameters and this can meet the needs of a complex biological environment to control the release of drugs. Doxorubicin hydrochlorides were used as a simulated drug to test the drug loading performance and controllable drug release performance of the composite NGs. Under near-infrared light (NIR) irradiation, an acidic environment or a reducing agent, the delivery of the loaded drugs was by controlled release over 24 hours. Under mild triple stimulation (NIR light, pH 6, and 4 mM reducing agent), the loaded drug could be released more efficiently. The organic-inorganic composite NGs with highly-efficient and controllable release performance for loaded drugs provide many choices for novel stimulus responsive nanocarriers.

Microbial keystone taxa drive succession of plant residue chemistry.

Managing above-ground plant carbon inputs can pave the way toward carbon neutrality and mitigating climate change. Chemical complexity of plant residues largely controls carbon sequestration. There exist conflicting opinions on whether residue chemistry diverges or converges after long-term decomposition. Moreover, whether and how microbial communities regulate residue chemistry remains unclear. This study investigated the decomposition processes and residue composition dynamics of maize straw and wheat straw and related microbiomes over a period of 9 years in three climate zones. Residue chemistry exhibited a divergent-convergent trajectory during decomposition, that is, the residue composition diverged during the 0.5-3 year period under the combined effect of straw type and climate and then converged to an array of common compounds during the 3-9 year period. Chemical divergence during the first 2-3 years was primarily driven by the changes in extracellular enzyme activity influenced by keystone taxa-guided bacterial networks, and the keystone taxa belonged to Alphaproteobacteria, particularly Rhizobiales. After 9 years, microbial assimilation became dominant, leading to chemical convergence, and fungi, particularly Chaetomium, were the main contributors to microbial assimilation. Overall, this study demonstrated that keystone taxa regulate the divergent-convergent trajectory in residue chemistry.

No-Reference Quality Assessment of Extended Target Adaptive Optics Images Using Deep Neural Network.

This paper proposes a supervised deep neural network model for accomplishing highly efficient image quality assessment (IQA) for adaptive optics (AO) images. The AO imaging systems based on ground-based telescopes suffer from residual atmospheric turbulence, tracking error, and photoelectric noise, which can lead to varying degrees of image degradation, making image processing challenging. Currently, assessing the quality and selecting frames of AO images depend on either traditional IQA methods or manual evaluation by experienced researchers, neither of which is entirely reliable. The proposed network is trained by leveraging the similarity between the point spread function (PSF) of the degraded image and the Airy spot as its supervised training instead of relying on the features of the degraded image itself as a quality label. This approach is reflective of the relationship between the degradation factors of the AO imaging process and the image quality and does not require the analysis of the image's specific feature or degradation model. The simulation test data show a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (SRCC) of 0.97, and our method was also validated using actual acquired AO images. The experimental results indicate that our method is more accurate in evaluating AO image quality compared to traditional IQA methods.

Circulating microRNA-103a-3p could be a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent cancer for women worldwide. Recently, a spectrum of cell-free circulating microRNAs (miR) has been recognized as promising biomarkers for BC diagnosis and prognosis, among which miR-103a-3p has been reported in several types of human cancer. However, the role of miR-103a-3p in BC remains unknown. A total of 112 patients with BC and 59 healthy controls were recruited into the present study. The expression level of serum miR-103a-3p was evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Receiver operating characteristic curves were utilized to calculate diagnostic accuracy. Survival curves were generated to analyze survival outcomes. It was found that circulating miR-103a-3p level was upregulated in patients with BC compared with that in healthy controls, and its expression was decreased following surgery. In addition, miR-103a-3p expression level was also associated with advanced clinicopathological features, including positive epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, metastasis and an advanced TNM stage. The circulating serum miR-103a-3p level could be used to discriminate between patients with BC and the healthy controls prior to surgery using an area under curve [(AUC), 0.697; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.615-0.778], and distinguish patients with BC and metastasis from those without metastasis (AUC, 0.936; 95% CI, 0.892-0.980). In addition, high expression level of miR-103a-3p was associated with worse survival outcomes in patients with BC. In conclusion, the present study suggests that miR-103a-3p could be a potential non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for BC.

Acquirement of HRP conjunct IgG anti-IgMs from most widely cultured freshwater fishes in China and its immunoreactivity.

Until now, custom-made or commercial polyclonal antibody against only one kind of fish IgM limited application of the antibody. During our research on development of vaccine against infection of Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) in several kinds of fish, we were conscious of the urgency of secondary antibody to evaluate immune effect and screen C. sinensis infection with immunological technology instead of labor-intensive and time-consuming squash or artificial digestion of fish flesh. So that, we purified IgM of grass carp, bighead carp, crucian carp, common carp and tilapia which were widely cultured freshwater fishes in most areas of China. On this basis, we generated HRP-conjunct rabbit IgG anti-fish IgMs with high titers. IgM of other freshwater fishes including oshima, yellow catfish, bream, silver carp and so on could be recognized by the IgG sensitively. Additionally, The ELISA detection displayed that the IgG could be more specific and sensitive than custom-made rabbit IgG anti-grass carp IgM. The acquirement of HRP-conjunct rabbit IgG anti-fish IgMs was the cornerstone for studying the immune system of teleost fish, developing immunoassay methods and evaluation of fish vaccine with more convenience.

Gene Flow Risks From Transgenic Herbicide-Tolerant Crops to Their Wild Relatives Can Be Mitigated by Utilizing Alien Chromosomes.

Integration of a transgene into chromosomes of the C-genomes of oilseed rape (AACC, 2n = 38) may affect their gene flow to wild relatives, particularly Brassica juncea (AABB, 2n = 36). However, no empiric evidence exists in favor of the C-genome as a safer candidate for transformation. In the presence of herbicide selections, the first- to fourth-generation progenies of a B. juncea × glyphosate-tolerant oilseed rape cross [EPSPS gene insertion in the A-genome (Roundup Ready, event RT73)] showed more fitness than a B. juncea × glufosinate-tolerant oilseed rape cross [PAT gene insertion in the C-genome (Liberty Link, event HCN28)]. Karyotyping and fluorescence in situ hybridization-bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC-FISH) analyses showed that crossed progenies from the cultivars with transgenes located on either A- or C- chromosome were mixoploids, and their genomes converged over four generations to 2n = 36 (AABB) and 2n = 37 (AABB + C), respectively. Chromosome pairing of pollen mother cells was more irregular in the progenies from cultivar whose transgene located on C- than on A-chromosome, and the latter lost their C-genome-specific markers faster. Thus, transgene insertion into the different genomes of B. napus affects introgression under herbicide selection. This suggests that gene flow from transgenic crops to wild relatives could be mitigated by breeding transgenic allopolyploid crops, where the transgene is inserted into an alien chromosome.

Evaluation of immune response to Bacillus subtilis spores expressing Clonorchis sinensis serpin3.

Clonorchis sinensis (C. sinensis) is one of the most serious food-borne parasites, which can lead to liver fibrosis or cholangiocarcinoma. Effective measures for clonorchiasis prevention are still urgently needed. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is an effective antigen delivery platform for oral vaccines. Chonorchis sinensis serpin (CsSerpin) was proved to be potential vaccine candidates. In this study, CsSerpin3 was displayed on the surface of B. subtilis spore and recombinant spores were orally administrated to BALB/C mice. CsSerpin3-specific IgA levels in faecal, bile and intestinal mucous increased at 4-8 weeks after the first administration compared with those in control groups. The mucus production and the number of goblet cells in intestinal mucosa elevated in B.s-CotC-CsSerpin3 (CotC, coat protein of B. subtilis spore) spores treated group compared to those in blank control. No significant difference in the activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase/ alanine aminotransferase and glutamic oxalacetic transaminase/aspartate aminotransferase were observed between groups. There was no side effect inflammation and observable pathological damage in the liver tissue of mice after administration. Moreover, collagen deposition and Ishak score were statistically reduced in B.s-CotC-CsSerpin3 spores treated mice. In conclusion, B. subtilis spores displaying CsSerpin3 could be investigated further as an oral vaccine against clonorchiasis.

A combination of depression and liver Qi stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome using a rat model.

A syndrome (Zheng in Chinese) plays a critical role in disease identification, diagnosis, and treatment in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Clinically, the liver Qi stagnation and spleen deficiency syndrome (LQSSDS) is one of the most common syndrome patterns. Over the past few decades, several animal models have been developed to understand the potential mechanisms of LQSSDS, but until now, simulation of the syndrome is still unclear. Recently, several studies have confirmed that an animal model combining a disease and a syndrome is appropriate for simulating TCM syndromes. Overlapping previous studies have reported that depression is highly associated with LQSSDS; hence, we attempted to develop a rat model combining depression and LQSSDS. We exposed the rats to different durations of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Subsequently, the evaluation indicators at macrolevel consisted of behavioral tests including open field test, sucrose preference test, and forced swim test, food intake, body weight, white adipose tissue, fecal water content, visceral hypersensitivity, and small bowel transit, and the evaluation indicators at microlevel included changes of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Serum D-xylose absorption was used to comprehensively confirm and assess whether the model was successful during the CUMS-induced process. The results showed that rats exposed to 6-week CUMS procedure exhibited significantly similar traits to the phenotypes of LQSSDS and depression. This study provided a new rat model for the LQSSDS and could potentially lead to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of LQSSDS and the development of new drugs for this syndrome.

Oral delivery of Bacillus subtilis spores expressing grass carp reovirus VP4 protein produces protection against grass carp reovirus infection.

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) hemorrhagic disease (GCHD), caused by grass carp reovirus (GCRV), has given rise to an enormous loss in grass carp industry during the past years. Up to date, vaccination remained to be the most effective way to protect grass carp from GCHD. Oral vaccination is of major interest due to its advantages of noninvasive, time-saving, and easily-operated. The introduction of oral vaccination has profound impact on aquaculture industry because of its feasibility of extensive application for fish in various size and age. However, the main challenge in developing oral vaccine is that antigens are easily degraded and are easy to induce tolerance. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) spores would be an ideal oral vaccine delivery system for their robust specialty, gene operability, safety and adjuvant property. VP4 protein is the major outer capsid protein encoded by GCRV segment 6 (S6), which plays an important role in viral invasion and replication. In this study, we used B. subtilis spores as the oral delivery system and successfully constructed the B. subtilis CotC-VP4 recombinant spores (CotC-VP4 spores) to evaluate its protective efficacy in grass carp. Grass carp orally immunized with CotC-VP4 spores showed a survival rate of 57% and the relative percent survival (RPS) of 47% after the viral challenge. Further, the specific IgM levels in serum and the specific IgZ levels in intestinal mucus were significantly higher in the CotC-VP4 group than those in the Naive group. The immune-related genes including three innate immune-related genes (IL-4/13A, IL-4/13B, CSF1R), four adaptive immune-related genes (BAFF, CD4L, MHC-II, CD8), three inflammation-related genes (IL-1ß, TNF-α, TGF-ß) and interferon type I (IFN-I) related signaling pathway genes were significantly up-regulated in the CotC-VP4 group. The study demonstrated that the CotC-VP4 spores produced protection in grass carp against GCRV infection, and triggered both innate and adaptive immunity post oral immunization. This work highlighted that Bacillus subtilis spores were powerful platforms for oral vaccine delivery, and the combination of Bacillus subtilis spores with GCRV VP4 protein was a promising oral vaccine.

Visible-light-triggered supramolecular valves based on ß-cyclodextrin-modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles for controlled drug release.

A high-efficiency drug delivery system has been successfully constructed based on visible-light triggered binding and releasing between tetra-ortho-methoxy-substituted azobenzene (mAzo) and ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles. The drug releasing efficiency is calculated to be 56%. The high-efficiency visible-light-triggered drug delivery system may afford great potential for cancer therapy.

Host-guest self-assembly toward reversible visible-light-responsive switching for bacterial adhesion.

Here we report a facile method to construct reversible visible-light-responsive switching from antibacterial to bioadhesion by host-guest self-assembly of ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) and azobenzene functionalized polycation/polyanion. The visible-light-responsible azobenzene functionalized polycation, poly{6-[(2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)azo-4-(2',6'-dimethoxy)phenoxy]propyl dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate-random-poly(2-(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate) (Azo-PDMAEMA), was synthesized via quaternization reaction between 2,6,2',6'-tetramethoxy-4-(3-bromopropoxy)azobenzene (AzoOMeBr) and poly(2-(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl) methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), and the polyanion, poly{6-[(2,6-dimethoxyphenyl)azo-4-(2',6'-dimethoxy) phenoxy]hexyl acrylate-random-acrylic acid} (Azo-PAA), was synthesized via esterification reaction between 2,6,2',6'-tetramethoxy-4-(6-hydroxyhexyloxy) azobenzene (AzoOMeOH) and poly(acryloyl chloride) (PAC) and subsequent hydrolysis reactions. The switch surface could be achieved via the alternate host-guest assembly of Azo-PDMAEMA and Azo-PAA onto a ß-CD-terminated substratum (Sub-CD) through visible light irradiation. The positively charged Azo-PDMAEMA with quaternary ammonium groups exhibited antimicrobial properties and few bacteria were adhered on the surface, while the negatively charged Azo-PAA with carboxyl acid groups exhibited excellent bioadhesive properties and a large number of bacteria were adhered. Interestingly, the switch between antibacterial and bioadhesive could be realized upon visible light irradiation via alternate assembly of Azo-PDMAEMA and Azo-PAA. The proposed approach to manufacturing visible-light-responsive surface with reversible and alterable biofunctionality switching between antibacterial and bioadhesive is simple and efficient, which is promising for preparation of multifunctional polymeric surfaces to encounter multifarious demands for the biomedical and biotechnological applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Light has attracted great attention in building biointerfaces for its precise spatiotemporal control and convenient operation. However, UV light may damage to biological samples and living tissues, which will limit its applications. This study demonstrates a novel visible-light-responsive surface fabricated through reversible assembly of azobenzene functionalized polycations/polyanions on cyclodextrin (CD)-terminated substrate by host-guest interactions between the visible-light-responsive azobenzene mAzo and CD, which has not been examined previously. It is noted that the azobenzene functionalized polycations show strong antibacterial activities, while the polyanions show excellent bioadhesive properties, as can be switched through the alternate assembly upon visible-light irradiation. This facile and versatile approach to visible-light-responsive surfaces holds great potential for switching of bioadhesion.

The mobile monitoring of black carbon and its association with roadside data in the Chinese megacity of Shanghai.

High-level black carbon (BC) pollution is associated with traffic emissions in metropolitan areas with high vehicle density. Mobile monitoring was conducted to assess the in-vehicle BC exposure on three backbone ring roads (inner, middle, and outer ring roads) on October 14 and October 18, 2015 in Shanghai. Ambient BC monitoring was also simultaneously conducted in three fixed roadside stations from October 14 to October 20, 2015. Results of the mobile monitoring showed median BC personal exposure concentrations ranging from 5.0 µg m-3 on the inner ring road to 13.5 µg m-3 on the outer ring road. The ambient BC concentrations during the entire observation period showed an arithmetic mean and a standard deviation of 3.5 ± 2.9 µg m-3. The correlation analysis of urban roadside monitoring (Caoxi Road and South Zhongshan Road) and personal data showed a high and significant correlation. The results of this study highlight the critical level of BC pollution in Shanghai and facilitate the development of evidence-based public health interventions and control strategies to prevent the adverse health effects of BC pollution.

Light-Responsive Janus-Particle-Based Coatings for Cell Capture and Release.

A robust light-responsive coating based on Janus composite particles is achieved. First, strawberry-like silica Janus particles are synthesized by the sol-gel process at a patchy emulsion interface. One side of the silica Janus particles possesses nanoscale roughness, and the other side is flat. Then, spiropyran-containing polymer brushes are grafted onto the coarse hemispherical side of the as-synthesized Janus particles, and the other flat side is modified with imidazoline groups. The light-responsive polymer brush-terminated coarse hemispherical sides direct toward the air when the Janus composite particles self-organize into a layer on the surface of epoxy resin substrate. The imidazoline groups react with the epoxy groups in the epoxy resin to form a robust smart coating. The coating can be reversibly triggered between hydrophobic and hydrophilic by UV and visible-light irradiation, which is attributed to the isomerization of spiropyran moieties. When the hydrophobic ring-closed spiropyran form is prominent, HeLa cells can be effectively captured onto the coating. After UV light irradiation, the ring-closed spiropyran form changes to the hydrophilic ring-opened zwitterionic merocyanine form, and then the captured cells are released. This work shows promising potential for engineering advanced smart biointerfaces.

Relationship between Insulin Levels and Nonpsychotic Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objectives: To explore the relationship between insulin levels and nonpsychotic dementia. Methods: Six electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, SCI, CNKI, VIP, and Wanfang) were searched from January 1, 2007, to March 1, 2017. Experimental or observational studies that enrolled people with nonpsychotic dementia or abnormal insulin levels in which insulin levels or MMSE scores (events in nonpsychotic dementia) were the outcome measures. Random-effects models were chosen for this meta-analysis. Sample size, mean, s.d., and events were primarily used to generate effect sizes (with the PRIMA registration number CRD42017069860). Results: 50 articles met the final inclusion criteria. Insulin levels in cerebrospinal fluid were lower (Hedges' g = 1.196, 95% CI = 0.238 to 2.514, and P = 0.014), while the levels in peripheral blood were higher in nonpsychotic dementia patients (Hedges' g = 0.853 and 95% CI = 0.579 to 1.127), and MMSE scores were significantly lower in the high insulin group than in the healthy control group (Hedges' g = 0.334, 95% CI = 0.249 to 0.419, and P = 0.000). Conclusions: Our comprehensive results indicate that blood insulin levels may increase in patients with nonpsychotic dementia.

Light-Triggered Specific Cancer Cell Release from Cyclodextrin/Azobenzene and Aptamer-Modified Substrate.

Cell adhesion behaviors of stimuli-responsive surfaces have attracted significant attention for their potential biomedical applications. Distinct from temperature and pH stimuli, photoswitching avoids the extra input of thermal energy or chemicals. Herein, we designed a novel reusable cyclodextrin (CD)-modified surface to realize photoswitched specific cell release utilizing host-guest interactions between CD and azobenzene. The azobenzene-grafted specific cell capture agent was assembled onto the CD-modified surface to form a smart surface controlling cell adhesion by light radiation. After UV light irradiation, the azobenzene switched from trans- to cis-isomers, and the cis-azobenzene was not recognized by CD due to the unmatched host-guest pairs; thus, the captured MCF-7 cells could be released. Light-triggered specific cancer cell release with high efficiency may afford a smart surface with significant potential applications for the isolation and analysis of circulating tumor cells.

A novel method for right one-lung ventilation modeling in rabbits.

There is no standard method by which to establish a right one-lung ventilation (OLV) model in rabbits. In the present study, a novel method is proposed to compare with two other methods. After 0.5 h of baseline two-lung ventilation (TLV), 40 rabbits were randomly divided into sham group (TLV for 3 h as a contrast) and three right-OLV groups (right OLV for 3 h with different methods): Deep intubation group, clamp group and blocker group (deeply intubate the self-made bronchial blocker into the left main bronchus, the novel method). These three methods were compared using a number of variables: Circulation by heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP); oxygenation by arterial blood gas analysis; airway pressure; lung injury by histopathology; and time, blood loss, success rate of modeling. Following OLV, compared with the sham group, arterial partial pressure of oxygen and arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation decreased, peak pressure increased and lung injury scores were higher in three OLV groups at 3 h of OLV. All these indexes showed no differences between the three OLV groups. During right-OLV modeling, less time was spent in the blocker group (6±2 min), compared with the other two OLV groups (13±4 min in deep intubation group, P<0.05; 33±9 min in clamp group, P<0.001); more blood loss was observed in clamp group (11.7±2.8 ml), compared with the other two OLV groups (2.3±0.5 ml in deep intubation group, P<0.001; 2.1±0.6 ml in blocker group, P<0.001). The first-time and final success rate of modeling showed no differences among the three OLV groups. Deep intubation of the self-made bronchial blocker into the left main bronchus is an easy, effective and reliable method to establish a right-OLV model in rabbits.

Photoswitched Cell Adhesion on Azobenzene-Containing Self-Assembled Films.

Stimuli-responsive surfaces that can regulate and control cell adhesion have attracted much attention for their great potential in diverse biomedical applications. Unlike for pH- and temperature-responsive surfaces, the process of photoswitching requires no additional input of chemicals or thermal energy. In this work, two different photoresponsive azobenzene films are synthesized by chemisorption and electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly techniques. The LbL film exhibits a relatively loose packing of azobenzene chromophores compared with the chemisorbed film. The changes in trans/cis isomer ratio of the azobenzene moiety and the corresponding wettability of the LbL films are larger than those of the chemisorbed films under UV light irradiation. The tendency for cell adhesion on the LbL films decreases markedly after UV light irradiation, whereas adhesion on the chemisorbed films decreases only slightly, because the azobenzene chromophores stay densely packed. Interestingly, the tendency for cell adhesion can be considerably increased on rough substrates, the roughness being introduced by use of photolithography and inductively coupled plasma deep etching techniques. For the chemisorbed films on rough substrates, the amount of cells that adhere also changes slightly after UV light irradiation, whereas, the amount of cells that adhere to LbL films on rough substrates decreases significantly.